Page 56 of Risk Everything

“I’m ready,” she said. “In every way that someone can be ready to marry someone else, I’m ready. It’s time for Tanner and I to start our forever.”

Cassandra let out a string of curses that would make a sailor blush, then burst into tears. “That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard. And I love it even more that my brother feels the exact same way.”

Marilyn smiled too. “It’s going to be an amazing day.” She turned back to the dress. “And that dress is just so...”

“Ornate?”

Marilyn chuckled. “It is ornate. It’s beautiful, Bree. Of course, I got married in a denim skirt, so I’m probably a little bit partial to big, beautiful wedding dresses.”

It still wasn’t the dress Bree would’ve picked out if she’d gone with her heart. But there was no doubt the dress was beautiful, and it would be beautiful tomorrow when she wore it down the aisle.

She was about to say so when a distinct beeping noise began shrieking from her computer. It took her a moment to realize exactly what it was.

Jared Ellis’s ankle monitor had just gone off.

She scrambled over to her laptop and began typing in information. Not ten seconds later everybody’s phones began beeping—they were all receiving the alarm she’d set up as an app on their phones.

Bree’s phone rang and she lifted it to her ear as she continued typing.

“Are you looking up the details on Jared?”

She loved that Tanner knew her well enough to cut straight to the chase, even the night before their wedding, not wasting time with greetings.

“Yes. It looks like he’s still at his apartment. So if it went off, it was because he was trying to remove it from his body.”

“I’m calling the Denver marshals. Noah is on his way to your place already. I’ll make the call and be right behind him.”

Bree disconnected the call and looked over at Marilyn. Every bit of color in the other woman’s face had leached out.

Cassandra rushed over to her, grabbing her hands.

Bree brought the laptop over so Marilyn could see it. “Look, the monitor is still on, and still in his apartment. I won’t say there’s no cause to be alarmed, but let’s get all the information before we panic.”

Marilyn nodded. “I need to get to the kids. They’re asleep at New Journeys.”

Cassandra nodded. “I’m going to call Barb right now and have her put the building on lockdown, okay? There’s absolutely no way Jared could get in that building. Hell, the kids will be safer than we are.”

Marilyn nodded and Cassandra got on the phone.

When the alarm on her laptop screeched again, Bree opened the program to see what new data had come in.

Jared’s monitor was now offline altogether.

Before Bree could even give anyone the bad news, Noah walked through the door. He went straight over to Marilyn and pulled her against his chest.

“We’ve already got Ronnie standing guard over at New Journeys,” he said. “The kids are safe.”

“Jared’s tracker just went offline,” Bree told him.

“What does that mean, exactly?” Noah asked.

Bree looked at him and then at Marilyn. “Technically, it means we no longer know exactly where Jared is.”

When Tanner walked in a few moments later, some of Bree’s tension eased. He looked calm, not panicked the way she felt. He was on the phone with someone. Cassandra, always in wedding-planner mode, threw a blanket over Bree’s wedding dress on the couch.

“I’ll call Sowers myself if that’s okay with you, Marshal, just to double check. I’ve got his number.” Tanner nodded as he listened to whatever the marshal was saying. “Will do. Thanks for calling us first.”

Tanner ended the call. “Adam Sowers, one of the marshals I met personally two days ago, is already on scene. Everything is okay. Sowers was nearby when Jared’s alarm went off and he got the call. He immediately went to Jared’s town house, arriving within two or three minutes of the alarm. Jared was still there.”